The residency so far…
The last two weeks have been a roller coaster of highs and lows. I’ve been making progress…slowly.
Highlights have included:
*Seeing The Big Pit and going down the mine (although, this was also heartbreaking)
*Meeting some fantastic people.
*Seeing Blaenavon come to life on World Heritage Day 2011.
*Beautiful unique landscapes. The Valleys are breathtaking.
*A private curators tour of the National Museum of Wales (and seeing a great wee archive of William Dyce)
Lowlights have included:
*Getting stuck in the pouring rain in the middle of nowhere without transport leaving me feeling like Withnail & I when they “go on holiday by mistake”
*Finally finding shelter, drying off and getting my enthusiasm back only for a b@5^@~d in a Jag to speed past & soak me in muddy water then peep! I later found this car and photographed it!
*Thinking I’d found two fantastic collaborators at a bus stop. One was an ex-miner & jolly from some after work pints. He took a pee in front of me whist chatting then asked me to go back to his. No thanks pal!
*Missing busses and finding it very difficult to get to certain areas without a car… The place I’m staying is ten minutes drive from Blaenavon but 90 minutes on two buses. It’s not walkable as it’s the opposite side of a valley.
*A trip to A&E
*Rarely having enough mobile reception to take a proper phonecall or answer a text message.
So… What are the biggest socio-economic issues affecting the area based my own recent experience?
Men un-apologetically peeing on the street in broad daylight.
&
The impossibility to get around and enjoy the area fully without a car.
